, also
romanized
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
as ', is the Japanese term for
self-published
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pri ...
print works, such as magazines,
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
, and novels. Part of a wider category of ''
doujin'' (self-published) works, ''doujinshi'' are often derivative of existing works and created by amateurs, though some professional artists participate in order to publish material outside the regular industry.
Groups of ''doujinshi'' artists refer to themselves as a . Several such groups actually consist of a single artist: they are sometimes called .
Since the 1980s, the main method of distribution has been through regular
''doujinshi'' conventions, the largest of which is called
Comiket
, more commonly known as or , is a semiannual ''doujinshi'' convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of '' doujin'' (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered by the volunteer-ru ...
(short for "Comic Market") held in the summer and winter in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
's
Big Sight. At the convention, over of ''doujinshi'' are bought, sold, and traded by attendees. ''Doujinshi'' creators who base their materials on other creators' works normally publish in small numbers to maintain a low profile so as to protect themselves against litigation, making a talented creator's or circle's ''doujinshi'' a coveted commodity.
Etymology
The term ''doujinshi'' is derived from and .
History
The pioneer among ''doujinshi'' was , published in the early
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
(since 1874). Not a literary magazine in fact, ''Meiroku Zasshi'' nevertheless played a big role in spreading the idea of ''doujinshi''. The first magazine to publish ''doujinshi'' novels was , founded in 1885 by writers
Ozaki Kōyō and Yamada Bimyo. ''Doujinshi'' publication reached its peak in the early
Shōwa period
Shōwa may refer to:
* Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa
* Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu
Japanese eras
* Jōwa (Heian ...
, and ''doujinshi'' became a mouthpiece for the creative youth of that time. Created and distributed in small circles of authors or close friends, ''doujinshi'' contributed significantly to the emergence and development of the ''
shishōsetsu'' genre. During the postwar years, ''doujinshi'' gradually decreased in importance as outlets for different literary schools and new authors. Their role was taken over by literary journals such as ''
Gunzo {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009
:''The article is about the historical figure. For the Japanese magazine, see Gunzo''.
Gunzo (also ''Cunzo'') was a 7th-century duke of the Alamanni under Frankish sovereignty. His residence was at ''villa Iburni ...
'', ''
Bungakukai
is a Japanese monthly literary magazine published by Bungeishunjū as a oriented publication.
History and profile
The first version of ''Bungakukai'' was published from 1893 to 1898. The founders were the first generation romantic authors in t ...
'' and others. One notable exception was , which was published from 1933 until 1969. Few ''doujinshi'' magazines survived with the help of official literary journals. ''
Haiku
is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...
'' and ''
tanka
is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature.
Etymology
Originally, in the time of the '' Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short p ...
'' magazines are still published today.
It has been suggested that technological advances in the field of
photocopying
A photocopier (also called copier or copy machine, and formerly Xerox machine, the generic trademark) is a machine that makes copies of documents and other visual images onto paper or plastic film quickly and cheaply. Most modern photocopiers u ...
during the 1970s contributed to an increase in publishing ''doujinshi''. During this time, manga editors were encouraging manga authors to appeal to a mass market, which may have also contributed to an increase in the popularity of writing ''doujinshi''.
During the 1980s, the content of ''doujinshi'' shifted from being predominantly original content to being mostly parodic of existing series.
Often called ''aniparo'', this was often an excuse to feature certain characters in romantic relationships. Male authors focused on series like ''
Urusei Yatsura
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1978 to February 1987. Its 366 individual chapters were published in 34 ''tankōbon'' volum ...
'', and female authors focused on series like ''
Captain Tsubasa
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yōichi Takahashi. The series mainly revolves around the sport of association football focusing on Tsubasa Oozora and his relationship with his friends, rivalries with h ...
''.
This coincided with the rise in popularity of
Comiket
, more commonly known as or , is a semiannual ''doujinshi'' convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of '' doujin'' (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered by the volunteer-ru ...
, the first event dedicated specifically to the distribution of ''doujinshi'', which had been founded in 1975.
As of February 1991, there were some ''doujinshi'' creators who sold their work through supportive comic book stores. This practice came to light when three managers of such shops were arrested for having a ''
lolicon
In Japanese popular culture, is a genre of fictional media in which young (or young-looking) girl characters appear in romantic or sexual contexts. The term, a portmanteau of the English phrase "Lolita complex", also refers to desire and a ...
'' ''doujinshi'' for sale.
![Symbol of the Doujin Mark License](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Symbol_of_the_Doujin_Mark_License.svg)
Over the last decade, the practice of creating ''doujinshi'' has expanded significantly, attracting thousands of creators and fans alike. Advances in personal publishing technology have also fueled this expansion by making it easier for ''doujinshi'' creators to write, draw, promote, publish, and distribute their works. For example, some ''doujinshi'' are now published on digital media. Furthermore, many ''doujinshi'' creators are moving to online download and print-on-demand services, while others are beginning to distribute their works through American channels such as anime shop websites and specialized online direct distribution sites. In 2008, a
white paper
A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper ...
on the
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
industry was published, this estimated that gross revenue from sales of ''doujinshi'' in 2007 were 27.73 billion yen, or 14.9% of total otaku expenditure on their hobby.
To avoid legal problems, the was created. A license format inspired by
Creative Commons licenses, the first author to authorize the license was
Ken Akamatsu
is a Japanese manga artist and politician who has served since 2022 as a member of the House of Councillors. He made his professional manga debut in 1993, and is best known as the author of ''Love Hina'' (1998–2001) and ''Negima! Magister Neg ...
in the manga ''
UQ Holder!
''UQ Holder!'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's '' Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 2013 to 2016 and later transferred to ''Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine'', where it was serializ ...
'', released on August 28, 2013, in the magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Magazine
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
''.
Comiket
Comiket is the world's largest comic convention. It is held twice a year (summer and winter) in Tokyo, Japan. The first CM was held in December 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. About 80% of these were female, but male participation in Comiket increased later.
[Wilson, Brent; Toku, Masami]
"Boys' Love," Yaoi, and Art Education: Issues of Power and Pedagogy
2003 In 1982, there were fewer than 10,000 attendees, this increased to over 100,000 attendees as of 1989, and over half a million people in recent years.
. This rapid increase in attendance enabled ''doujinshi'' authors to sell thousands of copies of their works, earning a fair amount of money with their hobby.
In 2009,
Meiji University
, abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...
opened a ''
dōjin
In Japan, is a group of people who share an interest, activity, or hobby. The word is sometimes translated into English as "clique", "fandom", "coterie", "society", or "circle" (as in "sewing circle"). Self-published creative works produced b ...
'' manga library, named “
Yoshihiro Yonezawa
was a Japanese manga critic and author. He is also known for being Comiket's co-founder and president. He died of lung cancer at 53. He won the 2007 Seiun Award in the special category and 2010 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award.
Biog ...
Memorial Library” to honour its
alumni
Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...
in its Surugadai campus. It contains Yonezawa's own ''doujinshi'' collection, comprising 4137 boxes, and the collection of Tsuguo Iwata, another famous person in the sphere of ''doujinshi''.
Categories
![Wikipe-tan manga page1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Wikipe-tan_manga_page1.jpg)
Like their mainstream counterparts, ''doujinshi'' are published in a variety of genres and types. However, due to the target audience, certain themes are more prevalent, and there are a few major division points by which the publications can be classified. It can be broadly divided into original works and ''aniparo''—works which parody existing anime and manga franchises.
As in
fanfic
Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, setti ...
s, a very popular theme to explore is non-canonical pairings of characters in a given show (for ''doujinshi'' based on mainstream publications). Many such publications contain ''
yaoi
''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the ''wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features Homoeroticism, homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typi ...
'' or ''
yuri Yuri may refer to:
People and fictional characters
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
'' (stories containing same-sex romance) themes, either as a part of non-canon pairings, or as a more direct statement of what can be hinted by the main show.
Another category of ''doujinshi'' is
furry or ''kemono'', often depicting homosexual male pairings of anthropomorphic animal characters and, less often,
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
pairings. Furry ''doujinshi'' shares some characteristics with the ''yaoi'' and ''yuri'' genres, with many furry ''doujinshi'' depicting characters in erotic settings or circumstances, or incorporating elements typical of
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
and manga, such as exaggerated drawings of eyes or facial expressions.
A major part of ''doujinshi'', whether based on mainstream publications or original, contains sexually explicit material, due to both the large demand for such publications and absence of restrictions official publishing houses have to follow. Indeed, often the main point of a given ''doujinshi'' is to present an explicit version of a popular show's characters. Such works may be known to English speakers as "''H-doujinshi''", in line with the former
Japanese use of letter H to denote erotic material. The Japanese usage, however, has since moved towards the word ''ero'', and so is the term almost exclusively used to mark ''doujinshi'' with adult themes. Sometimes they will also be termed or (an abbreviation of
). To differentiate, is the term used for publications absent of such content.
Most ''doujinshi'' are commercially bound and published by ''doujinshi-ka'' (doujinshi authors) who self-publish through various printing services.
Copybooks
A dōjinshi copybook or is a self-published and self-made work by fans or original fiction published using a copy machine.
Types
Copybooks are usually fan fiction featuring characters that are not the artist's own, but they can often feature orig ...
, however, are self-made using xerox machines or other copying methods. Few are copied by drawing by hand.
Not all category terms used by English-language fans of ''doujinshi'' are derived from Japanese. For example, an ''AU doujinshi'' is one set in an alternate universe.
Legality
Many ''doujinshi'' are
derivative works
In copyright law
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a litera ...
that are produced without the permission of the original creator, a practice that has existed since the early 1980s.
[McLelland, Mark]
Why are Japanese Girls' Comics full of Boys Bonking?
''Refractory: A Journal of Entertainment Media'' Vol.10, 2006/2007 ''Doujinshi'' are considered ''
shinkokuzai'' under
Japanese copyright law consist of two parts: "Author's Rights" and "Neighbouring Rights". As such, "copyright" is a convenient collective term rather than a single concept in Japan. Japan was a party to the original Berne convention in 1899, so its copyright law is in sy ...
, meaning that ''doujinshi'' creators cannot be prosecuted unless a complaint is made by the holders of the copyrights they have violated.
In 2016, then-
Prime Minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
affirmed that ''doujinshi'' "don't compete in the market with the original works and don't damage the original creators' profits, so they are ''shinkokuzai''."
Copyright holders take an unofficial policy of non-enforcement towards the ''doujinshi'' market, as it is seen as having a beneficial impact on the commercial manga market: it creates an avenue for aspiring manga artists to practice,
and talented ''doujinshi'' creators are often recruited by publishers. Salil K. Mehra, a law professor at
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
, hypothesizes that ''doujinshi'' market causes the manga market to be more productive, and that strict enforcement of copyright law would cause the industry to suffer.
Notable cases
In 1999, the author of an erotic
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
manga was prosecuted by Nintendo. This created a media furor as well as an academic analysis in Japan of the copyright issues around ''doujinshi''. At this time, the legal analysis seemed to conclude that ''doujinshi'' should be overlooked because they are produced by amateurs for one-day events and not sold in the commercial market. In 2006, an artist selling an imagined "final chapter" for the series ''
Doraemon
''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with List of Doraemon chapters, its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ' ...
'', which was never completed, was given a warning by the estate of author
Fujiko F. Fujio
was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987, upon Fujimoto's illness. The pair was best known f ...
. His creation apparently looked confusingly similar to a real Doraemon manga. He ceased distribution of his ''doujinshi'' and sent compensation to the publisher voluntarily. The publisher noted at this time that ''doujinshi'' were not usually a cause of concern for him. The
Yomiuri Shinbun
The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; th ...
noted, "Fanzines don't usually cause many problems as long as they are sold only at one-day exhibitions," but quoted an expert saying that due to their increasing popularity a copyright system should be set up.
In 2020, the
Intellectual Property High Court
The Intellectual Property High Court (, ''Chiteki-zaisan kōtō-saiban-sho''), sometimes abbreviated IPHC, is a special branch of Tokyo High Court in the judicial system of Japan. It is based in Kasumigaseki, a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo, J ...
ordered a ''doujinshi'' sharing website to pay
¥2.19 million to a creator whose ''doujinshi'' were uploaded to the website without their consent. The file sharing site claimed that as the ''doujinshi'' was a derivative work it was not protected by copyright law, though the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to classify the ''doujinshi'' as an illegally derivative work. The ruling was noted by commentators as potentially broadening rights for ''doujinshi'' creators under commercial law.
Impact
John Oppliger of
AnimeNation
AnimeNation was an American business that included RentAnime.com, a discussion forum, anime industry news, and a column called "Ask John." It was previously a retailer of anime and manga products until 2014 and an anime licensing and distributio ...
stated in 2005 that creating ''doujinshi'' is largely popular with Japanese fans, but not with Western fans. Oppliger claimed that because Japanese natives grow up with anime and manga "as a constant companion", Japanese fans "are more intuitively inclined" to create or expand on existing manga and anime in the form of ''doujinshi''. Since Western fans experience a "more purely" visual experience as most Western fans cannot understand the Japanese language, the original language of most
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, and are "encouraged by social pressure to grow out of cartoons and comics during the onset of adolescence", most of them usually participate in utilizing and rearranging existing work into
anime music video
An anime music video (AMV) is a fan-made music video consisting of clips from one or more Japanese animated shows or movies set to an audio track, often songs or promotional trailer audio. The term is generally specific to Japanese anime, howeve ...
s.
In most Western cultures, ''doujinshi'' is often perceived to be derivative of existing work, analogous to
fan fiction
Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...
and almost completely pornographic.
This is partly true: ''doujinshi'' are often, though not always, parodies or alternative storylines involving the worlds of popular manga, game or
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series, and can often feature overtly sexual material. However, there are also many non sexually explicit ''doujinshi'' being created as well. The
Touhou Project
The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese ''doujin'' soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995, the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed ...
series for example, is known to be notable for the large amount of ''doujinshi'' being produced for it that are not pornographic in nature.
Some groups releasing adults-only themed materials during the annual Touhou only event Reitaisai in 2008 were only estimated at 10%.
[
]
Notable artists
Individuals
*Yoshitoshi ABe
is a Japanese graphic artist who works predominantly in anime and manga. He first gained fame in his work on the avant-garde anime ''Serial Experiments Lain''. He is also responsible for the concept and character design for the series '' NieA_7' ...
has published some of his original works as ''doujinshi'', such as ''Haibane Renmei
is a Japanese anime television series. It is based on an original ''dōjinshi'' manga series by Yoshitoshi ABe, , which was released from 1998 to 2002 and left unfinished as work on the anime began. The 13-episode series was animated by Radix ...
''. He cited the reason as, essentially, not wanting to answer to anyone about his work, especially because he saw it as so open-ended.
*Ken Akamatsu
is a Japanese manga artist and politician who has served since 2022 as a member of the House of Councillors. He made his professional manga debut in 1993, and is best known as the author of ''Love Hina'' (1998–2001) and ''Negima! Magister Neg ...
, creator of manga such as ''Love Hina
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from October 1998 to October 2001, with the chapters collected into 14 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Kodansha. The ...
'' and ''Negima
''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from February 2003 to March 2012, with its chapters c ...
'', continues to make ''doujinshi'' which he sells at Comiket under the pen-name Awa Mizuno.
*Kiyohiko Azuma
is a Japanese manga artist. From 1999 to 2002, he authored the ''yonkoma'' comedy manga series ''Azumanga Daioh'', which was later adapted as an anime series by J.C.Staff. In 2003, he began ''Yotsuba&!'', a slice-of-life manga series about th ...
, creator of ''Azumanga Daioh
is a Japanese ''yonkoma'' comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized from February 1999 to May 2002 in the monthly magazine ''Dengeki Daioh'' by MediaWorks; three additional chapters were published i ...
'' and '' Yotsuba&'' started out doing ''doujinshi'' using the pen-name A-Zone.
*Nanae Chrono
Nanae Chrono, known in Japan as is a female Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the creator of the manga series ''Peacemaker Kurogane'', ''Senki Senki Momotama'', and ''Vassalord''.
Works
Serials
*; (1999)
:This was a oneshot manga or ...
, creator of the manga ''Peacemaker Kurogane
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated created by Nanae Chrono. It is unrelated to the ''Peace Maker'' manga by Ryōji Minagawa. The story begins in 19th century Japan before the Meiji Restoration, a chain of events that led to e ...
'', has published multiple ''Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' ''doujinshi'', most of a ''yaoi
''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the ''wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features Homoeroticism, homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typi ...
'' nature.
*Kazushi Hagiwara
is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the manga ''Bastard!!''.
Biography
He originally began as an assistant to hentai manga artist Dirty Matsumoto, and then as an assistant to manga artist Izumi Matsumoto in the production of '' ...
, creator of ''Bastard!!
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazushi Hagiwara. It began its serialization in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in 1988, and has continued irregularly in ''Ultra Jump'' since 2000, with its latest chapter released in ...
'', and his group ''Studio Loud in School'' have published popular ''Bastard!!''-related ''doujinshi'' such as ''Wonderful Megadeth!'', as well as various Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
-related ''doujinshi''.
*Masaki Kajishima
Masaki Kajishima (梶島 正樹 ''Kajishima Masaki'', born March 16, 1962) is a Japanese animator and storyboard artist who works for AIC in a freelance capacity. He is best known as the creator of ''Tenchi Muyo!'' and ''Dual! Parallel Trouble Adve ...
, creator of ''Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
, known as simply ''Tenchi Muyo!'' in North America, is a collection of Japanese Original video animation, OVAs created by Masaki Kajishima and animated by Anime International Company, AIC. Initially released in 1992, it marked the begin ...
'', has long used the ''doujinshi'' format to produce additional information about the series he has created, primarily ''Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki'' and ''Tenchi Muyo! GXP
is a Japanese anime television series animated by AIC and broadcast on NTV from April 3, 2002 to September 25, 2002. It is the fourth installment of the ''Tenchi Muyo!'' line of series, succeeding ''Tenchi in Tokyo'', localized in North Am ...
''. These ''doujinshi'' can either be completely filled with his work, or he will contribute a work to the ''doujinshi'' title. Kajishima's ''doujinshi'' works break down into one (or more) types of works: manga-style (where he illustrates a new story, usually with limited text), interviews, early drafts of scripts for the series (giving fans great insight into the creative process), storyboards drawn by Kajishima that ultimately were not animated, story notes (or short stories) giving further little details of various characters, situations, or places in Kajishima's World of Tenchi. As of this writing, Kajishima does two ''doujinshi'' titles a year under the circle names "Kajishima Onsen" and "Kamidake Onsen". He has also used these to communicate with fans about his current projects, namely the '' Saint Knight's Tale'' spinoff anime featuring Tenchi's half-brother and the ''GXP'' novels.
*Kazuhiko Katō
, nicknamed , was a Japanese record producer, songwriter and singer. He sometimes used the spelling of "Kazuhiko Katoh".
History
As a member of the Folk Crusaders, Katō launched his recording career in the mid-1960s. "Kaettekita Yopparai (I O ...
, also known as Monkey Punch, creator of ''Lupin III
, also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch. It follows the endeavors of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsène ...
'' began as a ''doujinshi'' artist.
* Kodaka Kazuma, creator of Kizuna is a Japanese word meaning "bond". It may also refer to:
Music
* ''Kizuna'' (album), a 2022 album by JO1
* "Kizuna" (Aya Matsuura song)
* "Kizuna" (Aya Ueto song)
* "Kizuna" (Orange Range song)
* "Kizuna", a song from the anime Mermaid Melody Pich ...
, Rotten Teacher's Equation (Kusatta Kyōshi no Hōteishiki), Love Equation (Renai Hōteishiki) and Border among others, has published several parody ''yaoi doujinshi'' as K2 Company of ''Prince of Tennis
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 1999 to March 2008, with its chapters collected in forty-two ''tankōbon'' volumes. ...
'', ''Fullmetal Alchemist
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. It was serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga anthology magazine ''Gangan Comics#Monthly Shōnen Gangan, Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' between July 20 ...
'', and ''Tiger and Bunny
''Tiger & Bunny'' (stylized as ''TIGER & BUNNY'') is a 2011 Japanese anime superhero television series produced by Sunrise and directed by Keiichi Sato. The screenplay was written by Masafumi Nishida with original character design by M ...
'', as well as an original ''doujinshi'' series called 'Hana to Ryuu' (Flower and Dragon).
* Rikdo Koshi, creator of the manga ''Excel Saga
is a manga series written and illustrated by Kōshi Rikudō. It was serialized in '' Young King OURs'' from 1996 to 2011, and its individual chapters were collected and published in 27 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Shōnen Gahōsha. The series fol ...
'', originally started out as a ''doujinshi'' artist.
*Yun Kouga Yun may refer to:
*Yǔn, Chinese name of Xionites, a nomadic tribe of Central Asia
*Yun (Chinese name) (云/雲), a Chinese family name
*Yun (ancient surname), an ancient Chinese surname
*Yeon, or Yun, Korean (or Dutch given name) family name
*Yun ...
, a longtime published manga artist and creator of two well-known BL series, ''Earthian
is a yaoi manga by Yun Kouga. It is about angel watchers of earth which was made into a J.C.Staff-produced anime OVA. The angels' roles are to assess the progress of humans giving them positive and negative scores based on their everyday a ...
'' and '' Loveless'' has published ''doujinshi'' for series such as ''Gundam Wing'' and ''Tiger and Bunny
''Tiger & Bunny'' (stylized as ''TIGER & BUNNY'') is a 2011 Japanese anime superhero television series produced by Sunrise and directed by Keiichi Sato. The screenplay was written by Masafumi Nishida with original character design by M ...
''.
*Sanami Matoh
is a Japanese manga artist born in 1969. She debuted in 1990 with ''Next to an Angel'' published by Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, ...
, creator of FAKE
Fake may refer to:
* Deception, an act or a statement intended to deceive
** Charlatan, a person who practices deception to obtain money or other advantages
** Counterfeit, a reproduction of an item, intended to deceive
** Cover-up, an attempt to ...
, has published parody ''yaoi doujinshi'' (mostly of ''One Piece'') and original ''doujinshi'' as East End Club.
*Maki Murakami
is a Japanese manga artist most famous for the boys love manga ''Gravitation'', which, in addition to the ''Gravitation'' novel, is published in the U.S. by Tokyopop.
Biography History
She began working as an assistant to the older sister of on ...
, creator of ''Gravitation
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stron ...
'' and ''Gamers' Heaven''. Her circle Crocodile Ave. created ''Remix Gravitation'' AKA ''Rimigra'' and ''Megamix Gravitation'', which were extremely sexually graphic.[Cha, Kai-Ming (2007]
Sex & Silliness: Maki Murakami’s Gravitation
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
*Minami Ozaki
is a Japanese mangaka, manga artist, cartoonist and illustrator of novels born on February 27, 1968 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She is famous for her best-selling manga series ''Zetsuai 1989'', which is considered to have redefined the Shōnen ...
, creator of the boy's love
''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the ''wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created b ...
manga ''Zetsuai
is a Japanese yaoi manga known for its melodramatic, almost operatic plot, its "semi-insane characters", and for the controversial style of its artwork. The word "Zetsu-ai" is a compound created by Minami Ozaki which has been translate ...
'', is an extremely prolific ''doujinshi'' creator. She authored numerous ''yaoi doujinshi'' before her debut as a professional artist, most notably featuring characters from the soccer manga ''Captain Tsubasa
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yōichi Takahashi. The series mainly revolves around the sport of association football focusing on Tsubasa Oozora and his relationship with his friends, rivalries with h ...
''. The main characters of her manga ''Zetsuai'' strongly resemble the main characters of her ''Captain Tsubasa'' ''doujinshi''. Ozaki continued to release ''doujinshi'' about her own professional manga, often including sexual content that could not be published in Margaret, the young girls-oriented manga magazine in which ''Zetsuai'' was serialized.
*Yukiru Sugisaki
is a Japanese manga artist. She has created numerous manga in several demographics, but is perhaps best known for creating the ''seinen'' series ''The Candidate for Goddess'' and the ''shōjo'' series ''D.N.Angel''.
Career
Yukiru Sugisaki star ...
, creator of ''D.N.Angel
''D.N.Angel'' (stylized as ''D•N•ANGEL'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yukiru Sugisaki. The manga premiered in Japan in the Kadokawa Shoten magazine ''Monthly Asuka'' in November 1997. After two extended hia ...
'' and ''The Candidate for Goddess
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Yukiru Sugisaki. The series takes place in the distant future, where human beings live among space colonies and a single, inhabitable planet called Zion. The plot follows Zero Enna and his fe ...
'', started as a ''doujinka''. She released ''doujinshi'' about ''King of Fighters
''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') is a series of fighting games by SNK that began with the release of ''The King of Fighters '94'' in 1994. The series was developed originally for SNK's Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware. This served as the main pl ...
'', '' Evangelion'', etc.; all were gag ''doujinshi''.
*Rumiko Takahashi
is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with ''Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, Takahashi is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have ...
, creator of ''Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from August 1987 to March 1996, with the chapters collected into 38 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Shogakukan. The st ...
'' and ''Inuyasha
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in fifty-six '' ...
'', made ''doujinshi'' before she became a professional artist.
*Yoshihiro Togashi
is a Japanese manga artist. He began drawing manga at an early age, before being recognized for his talent by publishing company Shueisha while attending college. Togashi has authored several manga series in different genres during the past thr ...
, creator of ''YuYu Hakusho
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The series tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and killed by a car while attempting to save a child's life. After a number of ...
'' and ''Hunter x Hunter
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/ tusks, horn/antler ...
'', has authored ''doujinshi'' such as ''Church!''.
*Hajime Ueda
is a Japanese manga artist who created a two-volume adaptation of the Japanese animated OVA series '' FLCL'', and the original manga '' Q·Ko-chan: The Earth Invader Girl''. He started his career as a dōjinshi artist, gaining a reputation fo ...
, the creator of '' Q•Ko-chan'' and the comic adaptation of ''FLCL
is an original video animation (OVA) anime series created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. ''F ...
''.
*Nobuteru Yūki
is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, animator and doujinshi artist. He has designed characters for manga, anime and video games, and has frequently collaborated with director Kazuki Akane, including on his most famous work, ''The Vision ...
sells ''doujinshi'' based on his animated works under his pen-name "The Man in the High Castle
''The Man in the High Castle'' (1962), by Philip K. Dick, is an alternative history novel wherein the Axis Powers won World War II. The story occurs in 1962, fifteen years after the end of the war in 1947, and depicts the political intrigues b ...
".
*Yana Toboso
is a Japanese manga artist. She was born in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan and currently resides in Yokohama.
Selected works
'' Rust Blaster'' is a 2006 six-chapter manga published by Square Enix in one volume. It tells the story of a hu ...
used to be a ''yaoi doujinka'' before she authored '' Black Butler'', which explained why there are some notable BL hints throughout the series.
*Sunao Minakata, the illustrator of '' Akuma no Riddle'', is a regular ''doujinka'', especially in girls' love theme. Usually makes Touhou ''doujinshi'' and has collaborated with other known-for-Touhou-works-popular artists, such as Banpai Akira.
*Nio Nakatani
is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for creating the Yuri (genre), yuri manga series ''Bloom Into You'', which has been a commercial success and spawned a media franchise encompassing an anime, light novels, a stage play, and an anthol ...
, creator of the popular yuri Yuri may refer to:
People and fictional characters
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
manga series '' Bloom Into You'', first became known for her ''doujinshi'' work, particularly those based on ''Touhou Project
The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese ''doujin'' soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995, the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed ...
''.
Online
*Bleedman
''Snafu Comics'' is a webcomic
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or ...
, creator of the online ''Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi
''Snafu Comics'' is a webcomics site maintained by David Stanworth. It serves as the home of several comics, including Stanworth's own creations, as well as those of other artists.
Comics Comics by Stanworth Snafu Comics
This is Stanworth's ...
'', ''Grim Tales From Down Below
''Snafu Comics'' is a webcomics site maintained by David Stanworth. It serves as the home of several comics, including Stanworth's own creations, as well as those of other artists.
Comics Comics by Stanworth Snafu Comics
This is Stanworth's ...
'', and '' Sugar Bits''.
* Fred Gallagher, creator of the ''Megatokyo
(also stylized as ''MegaTokyo'') is an English-language webcomic created by Fred Gallagher (cartoonist), Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston. ''Megatokyo'' debuted on August 14, 2000, and has been written and illustrated solely by Gallagher since ...
'' series, as well as the in-development series ''Warmth''. His ''Megatokyo'' co-creator and former writer, Rodney "Largo" Caston, can also be considered one, though Caston has since left the business.
* Daniel Kim, creator of the Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from May 1996 to June 2000, it was also published in 12 ''tankōbon'' ...
parody ''Tomoyo42's Room'', has written and illustrated several ''doujinshi'', all of which are hosted at th
Clone Manga
collective.
* Jesús García Ferrer (Jesulink) created '' Raruto'', a Spanish ''Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'' ''doujinshi'' published online.
* Fabio Yabu produced the sentai spoof ''Combo Rangers
''Combo Rangers'' is a series of webcomics created in 1998 by Japanese-Brazilian author Fábio Yabu. It is based on Japanese manga and the Super Sentai series. It started off as a parody, then developed more serious storylines that still included c ...
''.
* Kittyhawk, creator of ''Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki
''Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki'' is a webcomic by the artist Kittyhawk that began in 2002 and is a member of the ''Create a Comic Project''. The series features a magical girl scenario. The series won a Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards in 2 ...
''.
Circles
* 07th Expansion, creators of both Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion that comprises the first two entries of the ''When They Cry'' franchise. The series focuses on a group of young friends living in the ficti ...
and Umineko no Naku Koro ni
is a Japanese dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. Its first episode debuted at Comiket 72 for Windows on August 17, 2007. The story focuses on a group of eighteen people on a secluded island for a period of two ...
.
* Clamp started out as a ''doujinshi'' group of 11 known as Clamp Cluster.
See also
* ''Dōjin'' music
*'' Dōjin soft''
*Niigata Comic Market
The Niigata Comic Market, commonly known as , is a bimonthly dōjinshi comic book convention held in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It takes place at either Toki Messe or the Niigata-shi Sangyou Shinkou Center, and between 7,000 and 10,00 ...
*Otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
*Hentai
Hentai is anime and manga pornography. A loanword from Japanese, the original term ( ) does not describe a genre of media, but rather an abnormal sexual desire or act, as an abbreviation of . In addition to anime and manga, hentai works exis ...
Related concepts
*Amateur press association
An amateur press association (APA) is a group of people who produce individual pages or zines that are sent to a Central Mailer for collation and distribution to all members of the group.
History
The first APAs were formed by groups of amateur pr ...
*Fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
*Fan fiction
Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...
*Minicomic
A minicomic is a creator-published comic book, often photocopied and stapled or with a handmade binding. In the United Kingdom and Europe the term small press comic is equivalent with minicomic, reserved for those publications measuring A6 (105& ...
*Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pr ...
References
External links
Passion
Popular ''doujinshi'' fanlisting site
Doujinshi DB
: Huge user-submitted database of ''doujinshi'' artists, circles, and books, including name translations
Nippon Fanifesto! A Tribute to DIY Manga
an illustrated essay explaining ''doujinshi'' and their diversity
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dojinshi
Anime and manga terminology
Anime and manga fandom
Fan fiction
Japanese words and phrases